NASA's Heliophysics Gallery

The Heliophysics Big Year is a global celebration of solar science and the Sun’s influence on Earth and the entire solar system. During the Heliophysics Big Year, you will have the opportunity to participate in many solar science events such as watching solar eclipses, experiencing an aurora, participating in citizen science projects, and other fun Sun-related activities. Join us from October 2023 to December 2024! go.nasa.gov/HelioBigYear

NASA will launch three suborbital sounding rockets in June and July 2022 from the Arnhem Space Center in Australia’s Northern Territory to conduct astrophysics studies that can only be done from the Southern Hemisphere. The three missions will focus on α Centauri A and B, two of the three-star α Centauri system that are the closest stars to our Sun, and X-rays emanating from the interstellar medium, clouds of gases and particles between stars. The three sounding rocket night-time missions will be launched between June 26 and July 12 on two-stage Black Brant IX sounding rockets, from the Arnhem Space Center, which is owned and operated by Equatorial Launch Australia or ELA. The Arnhem Space Center is a commercial space launch facility, located on the Dhupuma Plateau near Nhulunbuy. The NASA missions will be the first launches from Arnhem. Learn more: Australia Sounding Rocket Fact Sheet Watch more: Sounding Rockets: Cutting Edge Science, 15 Minutes at a Time What Is a Sounding Rocket? Riding Along with a NASA Sounding Rocket

On May 19, 2022 the Sun emitted a magnitude M5.6 flare that peaked at 3:19 EDT. This flare was unusual in that it was not a single, bright burst from one location, but a series of smaller flashes from all over a bright active region. The Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the event in extreme ultraviolet light which reveals the delicate structure of the Sun's lower atmosphere, called the corona. The sparkling flares are followed by brilliant loops of hot plasma, which "sticks" to the Sun's magnetic fields.

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, peaking at 9:55 a.m. EDT. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. This flare is classified as an X-class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. This flare is classified as an X-class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. More info on how flares are classified can be found here. To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

The Sun emitted a strong solar flare on April 30, 2022, peaking at 9:47 a.m. EDT. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. This flare is classified as an X-class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. More info on how flares are classified can be found here. To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Magnetic reconnection is one of the most complex processes known for converting energy from magnetic fields to particle motion. It takes place in solar flares and regions of planetary (and stellar) magnetospheres. Having been studied since the 1950s, many details of the process are still undergoing study. One of the key components in magnetic reconnection is the collision of two magnetic field regions with opposite-directed field lines, imbedded in a plasma. The field and plasma combination forms an X-shaped configuration at their closest, and most intense point. These visualizations are plotted from a reconnection model generated by VPIC (Vector Particle-In-Cell) code. Quantities are plotted in 'dimensionless' coordinates, that are normalized to the ion inertial length (di). The magnetic vector potential is represented by the blue-green curves which dip inward from the top and sides of the plot. This forms the 'X' region that confines the electric current (gold) which is directed out of the plane of the plot (towards the viewer). The Electron Diffusion Region (EDR) is the intense horizontal oblong blob near the center of the plot. Electrons and ions (plasma) flow into the region from the top and bottom of the plot, initially moving together. As the plasma moves into regions with less intense magnetic field and stronger electric current, the ion and electron trajectories begin to diverge, driven by the Hall effect (Wikipedia). This accelerates and channels the flow of particles outward, through the left and right wings of the 'X', where the magnetic energy density is lowest. The net process is magnetic energy is converted into particle energy. The incoming magnetic energy is diverted and transported to the downstream region leaving an energy void at the X-line.

The Sun emitted a moderate solar flare on April 20, 2022, peaking at 9:59 p.m. ET. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of the event. This flare is classified as an M 9.6 flare. M-class flares are a tenth the size of the most intense flares, the X-class flares. The number provides more information about its strength. More info on how flares are classified can be found here.

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April 19, M 7.3 and X 2.2

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The Sun emitted two solar flares on April 19, 2022, one moderate peaking at 9:35 p.m. EST and one strong peaking at 11:57 p.m. EST. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured an image of both events.

These videos are designed to accompany live orchestral performances. For more information and inquiries about their use, please contact Scott Wiessinger at scott.wiessinger@nasa.gov.

The Sun emitted a mid-level solar flare on March 31, 2022, peaking at 2:35 p.m. EDT. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured imagery of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. This flare is classified as an M-Class flare. M-class flares are a tenth the size of the most intense flares, the X-class flares. The number provides more information about its strength. An M2 is twice as intense as an M1, an M3 is three times as intense, etc. More info on how flares are classified can be found here. To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

These clips are elements from various solar videos produced by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Use them to create your own artistic video with the Sun as its theme. These shots are all 1920x1080, but they originate from imagery collected by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO.) All of that is 4,096 x 4,096 pixels in size and shows the full solar disk. This source material is linked to in the description of each shot.

The Sun emitted a significant solar flare on March 30, 2022, peaking at 1:35 p.m. EST. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the Sun constantly, captured imagery of the event. Solar flares are powerful bursts of energy. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. This flare is classified as an X-Class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc. More info on how flares are classified can be found here. To see how such space weather may affect Earth, please visit NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center https://spaceweather.gov/, the U.S. government’s official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. NASA works as a research arm of the nation’s space weather effort. NASA observes the Sun and our space environment constantly with a fleet of spacecraft that study everything from the Sun’s activity to the solar atmosphere, and to the particles and magnetic fields in the space surrounding Earth.

Formally the Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP)

While the sun is well known as the overwhelming source of visible light in our solar system, a substantial part of its influence is driven by some aspects less visible to human perception - the magnetic field.

Solar Cycle 25 has begun. The Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel announced solar minimum occurred in December 2019, marking the transition into a new solar cycle. In a press event, experts from the panel, NASA, and NOAA discussed the analysis and Solar Cycle 25 prediction, and how the rise to the next solar maximum and subsequent upswing in space weather will impact our lives and technology on Earth.

The Earth's magnetic shield

The near-Earth space enviroment is a complex interaction between Earth's magnetic field, cool plasma moving up from Earth's ionosphere, and hotter plasma coming in from the solar wind. This interactions combine to maintain the radiation belts around Earth.

Earth isn't the only solar system body with an internally generated magnetic field. Here are some visualizations of simplified versions of magnetospheres of the giant outer planets.

For over 40 years, NASA's Sounding Rocket Program has provided critical scientific, technical, and educational contributions to the nation's space program and is one of the most robust, versatile, and cost-effective flight programs at NASA.

On Monday, May 9, 2016, Mercury will transit across the sun. This rare event will begin at 7:11 AM EDT and will continue for more than seven hours. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory will watch this transit from start to finish, ultra high definition images of the event in near real time as it unfolds. This is the first time SDO has captured this transit, which hasn't occurred since 2006. It won't occur again until 2019. NASA Scientists use the transit method to learn more about planets both in our solar system and beyond. Scientists can monitor the brightness of stars, looking for dips in that brightness that signal a transiting planet. Using the transit method, scientists can determine the distance of these planets from their stars, as well as their size and composition. Upcoming missions like the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite will use the transit method to search for planets orbiting nearby stars.

This gallery contains visuals in support of the June 5, 2012 transit of Venus across the solar disk.

Orbits and trajectories of many missions observing the Sun and the near-Earth environment.

The sun is always changing and NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is always watching. Launched on Feb. 11, 2010, SDO keeps a 24-hour eye on the entire disk of the sun, with a prime view of the graceful dance of solar material coursing through the sun's atmosphere, the corona.

SDO, the Solar Dynamics Observatory, images the entire sun at 4096x4096 resolution in multiple wavelengths every 12 seconds. The selection below represents some of the best options for full-disk slow rotation. The 4k content is available for download as frame sequences, and, in some cases, as ProRes video. These files are large and will take a long time to download.

Solar flares! CMEs! The Really Big Images from Solar Dynamics Observatory! Get them here!